


Cursed with Coolness

by Infidele



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Fairies, Graphic Description, M/M, Sex, Succubi & Incubi, Ten is lonely and just wants a boyfriend, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Witches, Wolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:48:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23239465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infidele/pseuds/Infidele
Summary: Ten is a demon who can't have sex without killing anybody. Taeyong thinks Ten should start dating again and Ten isn't too keen on his potential prospects.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung
Comments: 63
Kudos: 136





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The first few paragraphs might be a bit jarring, so if you want to skip to a few paragraphs after feel free. It's just a bit much to be thrown into if you aren't ready for it. Skip to where the line with the stars is for a more gentle intro to the story :)

“Holy fuck, you’re so fucking tight,” grunted the man who was currently pushing his way into Ten’s ass. The guy was probably in his fifties, married with two kids, and likely did something like this every other weekend. Probably with people barely older than his own children.

Ten smiled sweetly; he knew he had a tight ass. He also knew that this was about as boring as sex could get. This was why he seduced people before he got naked in the crappy SUV that they probably drove their kids to school in. Keeping his charms turned off was only ever fun when they were screaming.

He was curious to see where this male predator’s sexual habits fell on his list of sexual escapades, but this was entirely too disappointing. But then again, so was everyone else.

Ten dragged his nails down the man’s chest, watching them transform into wicked black claws as they neared the place their bodies connected. The sharp talons dipped into his flesh, revealing beautiful lines of bright red on the man’s abdomen. Ten’s eyes snapped back up to evaluate his prey’s expression.

There was a quick flash of confusion before the pain registered. Then he was howling, trying to apply pressure to the wounds as a sick grin spread across Ten’s face. This was a thousand times more enjoyable.

Using his legs wrapped around the man’s plump waist, Ten started ramming himself onto the man’s dick at an inhuman pace. His claws found their way to the man’s throat, clamping down on his windpipe until his pointless cries were no more than choked gasps and gurgles. Little trickles of blood from the tips of Ten’s nails slipped down his torso. 

The man tried to fight for a hot moment, trying to pull away from Ten and throwing punches at Ten’s body. It humored Ten that the man thought he could stand a chance against a demon. If they weren’t in such a cramped space he would unfurl his wings just to see the terror in his eyes. He dug his claws in deeper, red now gushing down in streams.

The man came while choking on his own blood, purely from Ten’s relentless stimulation, his orgasm violently shaking through his body as he bled out. Ten could’ve stopped there, but the blood spurted out from the man’s neck like a water fountain when he removed his claws and he suddenly felt a strong urge to chase his own pleasure.

With one swift motion, he ripped off the man’s right arm. Ten sucked on the fingers of the dismembered limb, reaching down to stroke his aching cock. The fine barbs on his tongue peeled the skin off of the man’s fingers like a candy wrapper. 

He didn’t pull himself off of the man’s dick. He liked the feeling, even if the softening cock did little for him at this point. He knew from experience that if he was cockwarming for too long his body would dissolve the dick inside of him, which Ten found very exciting. 

The gurgled sobs of the dying man and the rough, fast pace at which he strangled his own dick were just what Ten needed to push himself over the edge. 

It was a sub-par orgasm by all measures. He barely managed to squeeze out a few drops of cum, finally releasing the other man from his embrace. It would be enough to keep him sane for a while, but it didn’t exactly fill his stomach. 

Getting fucked was easier for getting food than fucking someone else, but the nutritional value was debatable. It was like going out to eat versus cooking for himself: most of the time if he went out it was to McDonalds, but he also didn’t cook anything besides ramen at home. He could pick better restaurants or recipes if he wanted to, but most of the time he just didn’t care enough to be bothered.

*************

Ten let his claws shrink back down to human looking digits, shoving the man to the side of the backseat so he could pull on his pants. If he left now, he could probably give this one to Taeyong while he was still alive. He would take the human either way, but alive meant the blood would be more fresh. Ten was always surprised there was any left. He wasn’t a blood-sucker, but he wasn’t exactly careful when it came to keeping it inside of human bodies.

He climbed into the front seat of the car, engine still running to keep the inside warm. Ten cranked up the radio and found a station he liked. He pulled out of the abandoned parking lot, jamming to some new song by Drake.

If a cop pulled him over they would see his arms covered in blood and hear the faint whimpers that were occasionally louder than the stereo, but they wouldn’t do anything about it because no one could resist Ten’s charms. Well, almost no one.

It would be a perfect night to go out flying. The cool air slipping through his feathers as Ten and the darkness melded together. He couldn’t just take to the skies though. Taeyong was only kind enough to clean up Ten’s messes when Ten brought all of the mess back with him. He rolled down the windows and drove as fast as he dared to create some pitiful semblance of the same sensation.

Twelve minutes later he pulled into the parking lot of Taeyong’s club. A modest line waited outside the bright neon signs of the entrance and some basic EDM music was shouting its existence at the fairly empty streets surrounding the club. 

Before he could even cut the engine, two vampires appeared on each side of the van. They could probably smell him approaching before he even pulled into the lot. Ten didn’t have much of a problem with the smell of demon and sex (in fact he found it quite enticing), but he knew his vampire friends didn’t fare the same.

“Gosh, did you have to fuck in the car?” The vampire with midnight hair asks, grimacing at the stench. Ten hopped out of the car, tossing the keys to the man. Ten wasn’t going to ever use the car again, why should it matter to him?

“If you want to stop complaining you might still be able to drain him before he completely passes over,” Ten comments. The other vampire is already pulling out a dismembered arm from the backseat.

“Had some fun?” he asks, wiggling the limp appendage.

“Yuta, I love you, but please stop waving that around and go put it in a blender or whatever you guys are supposed to do.” 

The vampire smiled, sharp white fangs peeking out from behind his lips. If there was anyone who liked violent, brutal sex more than Ten it would be Yuta. Unfortunately he wasn’t about being on the receiving end of Ten’s wrath. No one who knew what that entailed did.

“Invite me next time,” he teased. Yuta knew very well that if Ten ever decided to invite him he would end up just as mangled than the man sitting in the back of the van. It wasn't Ten's choice; it was an inseparable part of himself.

“You're both disgusting,” the black haired vamp scoffed. Sometimes Ten seriously considered ripping out his heart just to be rid of the pesky prude.

“Doyoung, the party pooper as always. I'm off to have a quick chat with the love of my life; have fun cleaning up boys!” Ten disappears in a flash of smoke because he likes to lord his flashy powers over Doyoung whenever he has the chance.

If anyone was paying attention in the club, they might have been confused by the young man that suddenly appeared on a barstool. Their feeble mortal minds would’ve pretended they weren't paying attention properly or blamed the alcohol in their system, refusing to acknowledge the supernatural at work right before their eyes. Not that Ten would mind if it didn't happen, he quite liked watching mortals squirm when they discovered the world living secretly in their midst.

The man next to him at the bar turned as if he had been waiting for Ten to turn up for some time now. Stunning, sharp features that could rival Ten's own gave him a solemn smile. 

Ten leaned in, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. “Lighten up Tae, you'll get wrinkles if you keep making faces like that.”

Taeyong sighed. “We can’t all just live our lives without facing any consequences, Ten.” He throwing back the wine colored contents of the glass in his hand in one smooth motion.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Ten sang. He summoned the bartender over with a flick of his wrist. The young man looked at Ten as if he was the lone awning on a street during a sudden downpour. “One blowjob please.” Taeyong let out an audible sigh as the man behind the counter jumped to fulfill Ten’s order. He probably wouldn’t mind giving him the other version too; Ten’s charms were always more potent than he intended.

“You’re shameless.” 

“It comes with the job description honey.” The bartender slid Ten his drink with a wink. There might have been a little slip of paper with his number snuck between the bottom of the glass and the counter too, but it disappeared before Ten could even notice. 

“Have you ever thought about, maybe not killing people?” Taeyong asked. What a downer. Ten loved Taeyong, he really did, but the vampire worried too much about everything.

Ten picked up the shot glass by wrapping his lips around its rim and threw his head back, downing the contents. The alcohol stung as it slid down his throat and the sweetness of the whipped cream clung to his tongue. 

“I don’t mind taking care of the bodies and the legal stuff, Ten, but I worry about you. You’ve been lonely for so long.” Taeyong placed one of his hands on Ten’s shoulder, rubbing gentle circles into the fabric of Ten’s shirt.

Ten let his eyes lock with Taeyong’s. Taeyong knew why Ten couldn’t stop. Taeyong knew that nothing he could say could convince Ten to stop.

“I didn’t kill the one this time, Doyoung and Yuta got that pleasure,” Ten said after he averted his eyes. “And it’s not like I want to start a relationship with any of those people. I pick them for a reason.”

“I know. I know.” The bartender came over again, refilling Taeyong’s glass and asking if Ten wanted anything else. Ten ordered a cocktail, one of the ones on their seasonal menu. “You could try within our community, you know. There might be someone strong enough to handle you.”

Ten laughed. “Taeyong, if you want a war among all of the supernatural creatures in Seoul I can start messing around. Plus anybody who is anybody here knows not to get involved with me if they want to stay on the side of the living.”

Taeyong’s fingers rapped at the polished wood of the bar. “Ten, you deserve more than this. I know you want more. It hasn’t been that long since your last episode, and I hate to see you when you’re hurting like that.”

The bartender brought over Ten’s cocktail. It was bright orange with a festive sprinkle of cinnamon over the foamy top. He took a sip and confirmed his assumption that pumpkin spice really does make everything taste better.

“Tae, there is not a single creature in this bar who could live through spending a night in my arms. No witch, no vampire, no wolf, no fae, no anything. The stronger someone is, the more I rip them apart. If it’s going to happen, it might as well be the scum that deserve it. I’m like a vigilante. A smoking hot, sex demon vigilante.”

“A smoking hot,  _ single _ , sex demon vigilante,” Taeyong added. “Maybe you should just, not have sex with them. Like, a purely romantic and non-sexual relationship with someone.”

“The hottest sex demon to ever exist not having sex with the person they’re dating? Just say you don’t want to carry all of my emotional baggage and leave. I get it Tae,” Ten sniffed.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. You can keep feeding off of the scum of the earth or whatever gives you peace of mind, but I don’t think a purely romantic relationship is that unobtainable for you.”

Ten snorted. “That’s like making a grindr profile to make friends.” If he so much as looked at anyone in a bar they would think he wants to fuck them, true or not.

Taeyong shrugs. “It could work.”

“I’m flattered by how much control you think I have. Don’t worry, I’ll show up with the limbs of a handsome young supernatural creature stuffed into a suitcase next weekend.”

“Ten,” Taeyong whined. “Please just try.”

Ten sucked the dregs of his cocktail up through the straw. “Sure, but I’m not making any promises.” He stood up, placing another kiss on Taeyong’s cheek before he turned towards the door. “Give Taeil my love. Enjoy the fresh blood. Tell Doyoung he doesn’t get any.”

“Hey, I heard that!” Came the sharp shout of the raven haired vampire from across the club. He got up from where he was seated at one of the booths with the intention of giving Ten a piece of his mind. Ten grinned.

“I’ll see you next weekend, love!” Before Doyoung could reach him, Ten disappeared.

He materialized a few hundred meters above the club, letting his wings unfurl as his body took its true form. Shrouded by the darkness and rumbling skies, Ten soared through space. 

Taeyong was right; Ten was lonely. He was so fucking tired of one night stands and gross old men who made him sick to his stomach. He wanted to have a real relationship. A partner who would love every part of him. Someone he could love without constantly fearing he might snap them in two.

That kind of person just didn’t exist. Ten had tried sleeping with wolf shifters. They had incredible regeneration abilities and were extremely strong, but their bodies were flesh and blood that were torn apart beyond repair by Ten’s claws and teeth. 

He’d tried fucking around with some fae before too. They looked delicate and breakable, but their magic was powerful. Unfortunately, Ten’s demonic aura was like poison for the fae. He could interact with them normally for certain periods of time, but once his magic seeped into their open wounds it would only be seconds before their bright spirits dimmed completely. 

One of his best experiences was with a witch. The witch had actually summoned him to eliminate her enemies, and Ten preyed upon her in compensation. She had some powerful spells in place to protect herself, but there was nothing that could stop Ten when he was coming off of a high from murdering a couple hundred innocent townspeople. There was nothing more intoxicating to a demon like him than the rush of consuming another creature’s soul. He came sober a couple hundred years ago though. Coming down from those highs was worse than starving.

Of course he had tried vampires as well. The nearly invincible, immortal creatures seemed like the best choice for Ten, but even they had their weaknesses. Not even vampires could survive having their head severed or wounds as serious as the ones Ten inflicted when he was really enjoying himself.

The only creatures he could foreseeably have sex with that would survive were other demons of his calibre or greater. The only problem with that is when you get that high into the ranks of the demons everybody is related. Most of the other demons in his rank were Ten’s siblings, and the ones above were something akin to his parents. While Ten wasn’t inclined to engage in inscesctuous activities, he had the additional motivation of not being able to feed on demons either.

The counterpart to his demonic kin could be another option, but creatures of purity didn’t interest Ten in any way. In addition, they were only immortal as long as they were pure. Ten was fairly certain that even if he had the chance and wanted to try it out, the angel would die just the same as any other mortal.

That’s why he settled for just feeding on ordinary humans. Particularly the ones he thought deserved their demise anyways. He would mix it up with a few hot ones every now and then, but it was better for everyone involved when he kept things on the down low.

Ten didn’t want to have his heart broken. He wanted everything that Taeyong wanted for him, however Ten wasn’t delusional. 

He relished in the feeling of the wind between his feathers as he flew. He wished he could fly forever and never have to touch down. He wished that he could just be a normal inccubus. He wished he could control himself like his brothers and sisters. 

Ten flew until the first rays of sun started peeking from beyond the horizon. He touched down near an old building that blended into the others lining a thin street. His feet carried him up two floors and into his apartment. Ten didn’t bother taking his shoes off, choosing to just lie down on the floor in front of his door.

The more he thought about it, the more Taeyong seemed right. Ten craved companionship. He needed someone who’s arms he could sink into when he came home. Instead the cold seeped into his limbs from the floor, pulling his eyelids closed until he couldn’t tell if he was conscious or not.

His dreams were filled with stars as he spent an eternity flying through cold and lonely galaxies.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The week passed pretty quickly. Ten was currently working as a dance instructor for a small academy in the city and he spent his days practicing and teaching his students. 

He had lived many different lives in many different cities, but he always found himself coming back to Seoul. Maybe he liked the covens and clans here better, or maybe it was something else. Ten really wasn’t sure. 

It was a good week because Doyoung only came to Ten’s apartment once and he brought food along with him. Ten and Doyoung had a pretty intense push and pull relationship, but Jaehyun seemed intent on mending it. Ten loved his roommate enough to put up with his annoying soulmate occasionally, but he couldn’t stop himself from messing with Doyoung whenever he got the chance.

When Friday rolled around, Ten started feeling the familiar pangs of hunger for real sustenance. It was a lot sooner than usual, but his last meal had been so pitiful that Ten wasn't surprised. 

“You going out tonight?” Jaehyun asked him, munching on some leftovers he and Doyoung had made together when Ten was teaching a class yesterday.

“Does it look like I am?” Ten twirled around, striking a dramatic pose against their refrigerator. Jaehyun looked him up and down. Ten was wearing tight black jeans with a few tears around the knees and a shirt that dipped deep beneath his collar. His hair was down, parted slightly over his forehead and a jean jacket was folded over his forearm.

“Kinda. You dressed down more than normal today,” Jaehyun commented in between bites. Ten frowned. Jaehyun was right, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t looking flawless.

“I’m on a diet,” Ten whined. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow. “Taeyong said I should try to date somebody, apart from feeding.”

“How does that even work?”

“I really don’t know. What kind of vibes do you get from me? Do I look like someone you want to fuck in the bathroom stall or someone you wouldn’t mind taking home to meet your parents?” Ten struck another pose, pulling on the jean jacket.

“You look like a minor who has never set foot in a club before. Though I’m sure anybody who is affected by your charm will want to fuck you either way.” 

“Should I go for a leather jacket instead then?”

“Hmm.” Jaehyun shoved a massive bite into his mouth. “Mawybe wear yaur--black and yellow sweatshirt instead.”

“Gross. But okay. Wish me luck. Hopefully I’ll have the number of a guy who isn’t in the back of a freezer at Taeyong’s by the end of the night.” Ten rushed to his room, tossing the jean jacket onto his bed and pulling out the aforementioned sweatshirt from his closet.

He pulled it over his head and slipped on a pair of sneakers. “Text me if Doyoung is coming over tonight in case I come back early.”

Jaehyun laughed. “He is working tonight, but will do. Good luck!”

“Thanks!” Ten blew a kiss as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. So maybe he didn’t just like showing off around Doyoung. He was a demon with flashy powers, could you really blame him?

Ten recruited one of his werewolf friends to accompany him. Yukhei was waiting to pick him up in a beat up mercedes that stalled when he tried to start it. Having someone with him made it less likely for him to disappear at some point during the night and wind up on Taeyong’s doorstep (even if Ten had a feeling it was inevitable).

They blasted music on the way to the club. Neither of them knew the lyrics or anything remotely close to what was being sung but they sang along as loud as they could anyways. 

Ten liked Yukhei because when he was around the younger boy he felt like he had more courage to do the impossible. Like getting someone’s number without a mysterious disappearance on the news the next morning. The young werewolf was also just as charming as Ten when it came to picking up strangers at bars, so the pool thirsting after Ten as soon as they walked in would hopefully be lessened.

He also promised to pick up Yukhei’s tab so long as the werewolf promised to drive Ten home. Ten needed some incentive for Yukhei to drag him back home in case things went south, and hopefully paying off whatever tab he racked up would be worth it. Werewolves didn’t get drunk on alcohol like Ten did, although that never stopped Yukhei from trying.

“Should we split up here or do you plan on scaring off all of my suitors tonight?” Yukhei smiled when they entered. Ten pushed his shoulder playfully.

“You’re here to support me finding a date.” Ten scanned the club, not quite full but still plenty of warm bodies mingling all over. “Send the ones who don’t want to suck your dick my way.”

Yukhei laughed, a destination already in his eyes. “Will do.” Ten envied his freedom in these places. He didn’t frequent clubs apart from Taeyong’s because the atmosphere alone was intoxicating. The looks people gave him even when Ten was suppressing his aura made him want to feast like a poor college student at an all you can eat restaurant.

Before he could even get to the bar, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Ten entertained the conversation until it was clear that he definitely couldn’t pursue anything remotely romantic with the stranger. Twenty seconds later he was ordering a couple of shots.

He was able to make small talk with a few people, but it became clear pretty quick that all of the people talking to Ten had more sinful intentions than he was willing to indulge. One girl who approached him tried to kiss him, which Ten denied, even if he would have gladly bit off her tongue. He had to constantly remind himself that he wasn't there to feed.

At some point he got frustrated just wandering up to people’s tables and around the bar, so he finally made his way to the dancefloor. It was a tiny space occupied only by a few completely wasted folks. Ten knew dancing never sent the right message, but at that point he just wanted to make the night a little bit worth it.

The DJ wasn’t particularly great, but Ten found a rhythm and let himself get lost in the music. Dancing reminded him of flying. Something about the way the air bent around him and the weightlessness of his limbs reminded him of endless skies and warm updrafts.

When people grinding on him started to become too much to ignore, Ten excused himself to go find Yukhei. The werewolf was chatting up a group of girls in a booth who giggled loudly at everything he said.

Ten slid past the girls whose dirty looks quickly became excited whispers when he threw himself over Yukhei’s lap.

“Who’s your friend?” One of them asked. 

“I’m his sugar daddy for the night,” Ten stated before Yukhei could open his mouth. The werewolf was practically howling with laughter. What could he say, Ten was a comedian. “Sorry to disappoint ladies, but this hunk is coming with me.”

With some whiny protesting and Yukhei’s phone being passed around so they could save their number, Ten managed to pry Yukhei from the harpies’ clutches. He didn’t come out unscathed either, a few offering their contact to Ten as well. While Ten had half the mind to take them up on the offer and cleave them in half, he pocketed the scraps of napkins with a fake smile.

“Want me to take you back?” Yukhei asked when they got to his car.

Ten shook his head. “I want to try another bar.” Even if he didn’t find someone to date, he still needed to eat. All of the frolicking around in that club only made the hunger more profound. If he didn’t eat tonight, he couldn’t be sure to control himself until he was sated.

Yukhei drove them to one of the seedier places in town. It wasn’t uncommon for people to see strange things and even less odd for people to disappear after stepping over the threshold. People didn’t come to the 7th Sense because it had great music or drinks, they came for the adrenaline high and a chance to see the impossible become reality. Ten prided himself on being part of the reason why the club had such a reputation. He was a regular patreon during its early years.

The place was brimming with demonic energy. It was owned by a demon who called himself Key, but it was managed by some fae, if you could call what they did management. 

A welcoming scent hung heavy in the air when Yukhei flashed his golden eyes to let them pass the bouncer. Ten would’ve shown his own shining silver, but he and Key weren’t on the best of terms. It wasn’t Ten’s fault, his brother was just a petty bitch.

“Now I remember why I haven’t been here in forever. This place stinks.”

“You’ll get over it.” Like vampires, werewolves weren’t particular to many of the smells Ten found appealing. His stomach growled with anticipation, growing impatient as the aroma hit him. “You can go if you want; I’m gonna get something to eat.”

Yukhei raised his eyebrow. “Should I be worried?” 

“I feel like being picky tonight, don't judge me. I've been in a mood ever since I talked to Taeyong.” 

“You should stop talking to him then.” Ten rolled his eyes. Taeyong was the last person Ten was going to stop talking to. Yukhei was much closer to the top of his list.

“Just leave. Go find some club that smells nicer or something and leave me be. It’s not like you’re a part of my cleaning crew. You have no right telling me not to be picky.”

Yukhei nodded. “Buy me a drink. I'll be your thotty guard. Like your bodyguard, but I’ll protect you from the thots.” 

“If this is just going to be you telling me who wants to suck my dick, I'm in.”

“Buy me two drinks?”

“Done.” He would have done it anyways.

Ten and Yukhei found some seats at the bar and ordered a few rounds of tequila shots. With another flash of his eyes Yukhei was able to buy some magical substance (using Ten’s money) that would let him feel the effects of the alcohol while Ten scanned the night’s menu.

“Your five o’clock. What do you think?” Yukhei turned to examine a man sitting at a table near them talking to a pair of uninterested girls (one of whom appeared to be fae). He was definitely on the creepy scale, but nowhere near the ones Ten usually went for. His hair was styled up a bit and there was a moderate amount of effort put into the outfit he was wearing. He looked like quite a bit of a loser, and Ten had a thing for disappointment.

“Naw. He’s already hard and his dick is like 3 inches. You can do better,” Yukhei commented. Ten’s eyes travelled beneath the table and sure enough there was tiny tent in the man’s trousers. Ten liked to think that size didn’t matter, but it really did. Especially when he already decided to be picky.

He quickly downed a shot, eyes searching for another candidate. He made eye contact with a man sitting in a booth across the club. That one look sent shivers down his spine, and not the good kind.

“Check out the dude on left side of the dance floor. Tall, making a fool of himself, trying not to spill his drink, plaid shirt,” Yukhei interrupted, pulling Ten’s eyes away from the man in the booth.

“Cute, but no. I know him. He’s like Jaehyun’s cousin or something.”

“An elf?” Ten nodded. He had met more of Jaehyun’s extended family than he ever intended to. He had unfortunately promised Jaehyun not to prey on them, no matter how much better Ten thought the world would be without some of them in it. “I’ve always wanted to fuck an elf.”

Ten shook his head. “Not worth it. Too much foreplay and not enough action. Last time I tried to fuck one they suffocated before we even took off our clothes.” He distinctly remembered how frustrated he was, not because he lost his meal, but because the elf had the audacity to die before Ten could even whip it out.

“I think I could be down with that.” Ten took another shot of tequila. To each their own.

Ten felt the eyes of the man across the room on him again. If it were any other establishment, Ten would use his aura to make the man pass out, but since he wanted to stay under the radar, Ten kept his demonic magic suppressed. Key wouldn’t take kindly to Ten being in the club, let alone using magic after his last incident.

“What about the guy standing near the bathrooms on his phone?” Yukhei suggested. Ten peered in the general direction, spotting the man in question.

Longish brown hair fell over his face, obscuring his eyes as he looked down. He was distinctly human, that much Ten could tell. A good sign.

Out of the corner of his eye Ten saw the man across the club stand up in the booth. Not a good sign. When he was standing Ten finally caught a glimpse of the tattoo wrapped around his forearm, disappearing beneath the rolled up sleeve of a collared shirt. He was a lower class demon and, of course, he worked for Key. 

Ten quickly downed Yukhei’s last shot, jumping off of the bar stool. “Go talk to that cute elf or something. I’m gonna go talk to bathroom boy. I’ll text you tomorrow morning.” The man was moving towards them. If Ten was fast, he might be able to lose the guy while he swam through the crowd.

“You sure?” Yukhei asked. 

Ten flashed him a smile that could sway even an angel’s faith. “Text me how bad he blue balls you.” The werewolf shook his head and Ten blew him a kiss before disappearing in a throng of people.

Away from the little security that being with Yukhei provided, Ten felt like he could hear every footstep of Key’s lackey as he tried to make his way to where Ten had been sitting. His heart drummed a rhythm in double time as he closed the distance between him and the bathrooms as inconspicuously as he could. 

Ten gently pushed the hand holding the bathroom man’s phone aside, not shy at all as he pressed himself close, inhabiting his space. He listened for steel toed boots tapping on polished wood floors, hearing the distinct sound growing closer.

“Are you alright?” The man who was awkwardly embracing Ten asked. He glanced up to see chocolate brown eyes filled with a mix of concern and bewilderment. 

If this wasn’t Key’s club and Ten wasn’t being pursued by someone who was going to shove a metaphorical cock down his throat (and not the way he liked it), Ten might have taken a moment to appreciate the beautiful features of the man’s face. He probably would’ve apologized and walked away right there, since Ten didn’t think people that beautiful deserved to die at the hands of a demon like him.

Instead Ten looked at him with eyes he knew couldn’t be resisted, pressing himself further into the man’s chest. “Can you take me somewhere else, please,” Ten whispered. Their lips were dangerously close. Ten watched him swallow, taking a brief moment before nodding his head. 

Ten intertwined their fingers and let the man lead him around the outskirts of the crowd and out of the club. 

The cool night air hit him like waves breaking on the shores of an archipelago. First came the chill of autumn darkness, then the relief as the sound of heavy footsteps disappeared, and finally the excitement as a soft hand squeezed his. Although unintentional this time, it had been decades since Ten had last indulged himself in someone that was truly his type.

He wasn’t so hungry that he couldn’t walk away and spare the man, but Ten’s inner demon longed for something more than the junk food he had been eating. This man had fine dining written all over him, from the way his brown hair parted over his forehead to the way his pants outlined the thick muscles in his calves and thighs. Ten wanted to devour and consume him, to feast as if he was never going to eat again.

“Are you alright? Do you need me to call the police or anything?” The man asked. He wasn’t an asshole either. Ten couldn’t remember the last time he fed on someone who was both handsome and kind. 

He shook his head. “I just needed to get out of there. Some guy was following me around. Sorry for dragging you into this.”

“It’s fine,” the man chuckled. Ten tried to save the image of his smile in his brain. Something that bright didn’t deserve to disappear from such a dark world. “I’m glad I could help, and I was about ready to leave anyways.”

Ten took a deep breath. He wanted to do this. He was going to do this. He had to do this. 

“Would you mind giving me a ride home? My friend drove me here and I’m not sure where he is anymore.” The man blinked at him. Ten didn’t want to use his aura more than he had to. It always made things feel less personal. “Sorry I didn’t introduce myself before throwing myself on you, my name is Ten.”

Of course he could call Yukhei, or Jaehyun, or even Taeyong, and get one of them to take him back. He could even fly back if he felt like it, but Ten needed to feed. He needed to experience the burning sensation of desire again. He needed to rip off the man’s lips with his teeth while he pounded into Ten with as much force as his feeble human limbs could muster.

“A fitting name. I’m Johnny.” Ten’s stomach did a flip when the man--Johnny--started leading him further from the club, hands still linked together. “I parked just a block over if you don’t mind walking with me.”

“How could I complain about walking next to someone as handsome as you?” Ten smiled at him.

Johnny chuckled. “The pleasure is mine. Any particular destination you want me to drop you off at?”

“Anywhere close to the big public library would be great. Though I wouldn’t mind just driving around for a bit if you can spare the gas.” 

Johnny hummed in response. Ten had to look up just enough to stare at his face that he felt small next to the taller man. Johnny was handsome enough to be a vampire, with his chiseled face and relaxed composure, but his eyes were too full of emotions and his smell too void of magic beyond what still clung to him from the time he had spent in the 7th Sense.

He couldn't help but wonder if they had met in the first club if things would've turned out differently. Ten had half the mind to ask him out for coffee later, but the growling from his stomach was growing as Johnny's hand found Ten's shoulder, pulling him close to the taller man's side. 

They found his car parked along the curb. It was an average looking vehicle that could've been any brand if the Hyundai logo wasn't adorning the front of the car. Ten had certainly seen worse, but he wondered how Johnny managed to fuck anyone in his tiny car. Hopefully Ten would be able to get it to Taeyong in one piece.

Johnny opened the door for him and Ten made some cliche comment about chivalry or gentlemen or romance, take your pick. The car felt a little bit bigger when he was inside it, but Ten looked at the silly seat covers knowing they would probably get ripped apart along with the seats if things went as well as Ten expected them to.

Once he was in the front seat Johnny turned to face Ten, lips drawn in a nice smile: “Wanna put on your seatbelt? 

Ten shook his head, unable to fight Johnny’s contagious smile. “Don’t really feel like doing it myself.” Johnny stared at the seatbelt for a moment, as if he was trying to will it to strap Ten to the seat on its own. Ten watched Johnny, slightly bemused at how hard the poor guy was thinking. He wondered if the mortal would make the first move then and there, or if he was going to leave it up to Ten after they had driven to somewhere more secluded.

“It’s dangerous to drive without a seatbelt,” Johnny stated. Ten nodded in agreement, it was dangerous for mortals to drive without a seat belt on. He wasn’t exactly mortal though. 

The taller man leaned over, reaching to pull the seatbelt across Ten’s chest and guiding it to the lock. Arms caging him between Johnny’s chest and the seat brought their faces close. Johnny didn’t look at Ten, so he got to appreciate the sharp edge of his jaw and the smooth skin of his neck. In that moment Ten really sympathized with vampires. He really didn’t grasp how they could keep themselves from sinking their teeth into the soft and supple flesh of mortals as soon as they were within armsreach. 

Johnny pulled away, so Ten had to stop salivating over the thought of biting into his jugular. 

He started up the car and gave Ten a case of CDs to choose from for music. They were all nondescript, probably pirated, discs so he chose one at random and put it in the stereo’s player.

As soon as the song started playing Johnny commented, “Good choice.” It was jazzy EDM, but upbeat enough that Ten didn’t feel like falling asleep.

“Were all of them good choices?” Ten asked. Johnny smiled.

“How’d you guess?” 

Ten rolled down the window as they drove. The city was loud, even after the new day had started within its twinkling artificial lights, unaware of the darkness weighing down from the sky. He hoped the cool air and fast winds would calm his mind, abate his screaming hunger. Sitting next to Johnny in the car, trying his best not to think about all of the ways Ten could make him scream, was like putting a plate of his favorite food in front of a kid who hadn’t eaten for a week and telling him to wait until after the prayer. It was a good thing that Ten had unwavering respect for the deities.

It did help a little though. His mind started pondering his conversations with Taeyong instead. Ten was sorry that he was going to disappoint his friend again. He did try. It wasn’t Ten’s fault he no longer knew how to approach someone with romantic intentions. He had lived for so long thinking that it was a futile skill for him to have, he was now completely out of his element.

Johnny talks while they drive. It’s mostly small talk about how he likes the way the streets look under the street lamps and neon lights or about how the song that just came on reminds him of some obscure pop-culture thing an immortal demon like Ten would never bother himself to understand. Whatever Johnny said wouldn’t matter in an hour anyways, so Ten tuned him out, hoping that would make it easier to forget him during the aftermath.

They ended up driving near the river for a while, streets empty but for another car every few minutes. When Johnny eventually turned to drive them towards the library Ten asked him to pull over and park on the side of a little inlet street diverging from the larger road.

It didn’t take long for Ten to lure Johnny into the backseat, letting the larger man pin him between the door and his chest. He was eager, his stomach roaring so loud he could barely keep himself in check. Ten let Johnny kiss him, sure that everything would end too quickly if he took control. 

It burned a fire in his stomach he hadn’t felt in ages. Johnny was demanding, seeking out as much as Ten could trust himself to give. One hand gripped the nape of Ten’s neck, pulling him close while the other roamed his body, finding purchase wherever it could. Ten found himself clinging tight to Johnny’s back, barely able to keep his claws from ripping his supple skin to shreds.

Most of Ten’s prey skipped the making out and just tried to fuck him before he changed his mind or something. Johnny seemed like he was trying to antagonize Ten on purpose. He would grind against Ten in the most delicious way, whenever Ten thought he had finally gotten himself under control. His hands felt up every inch of Ten’s body as he pulled his shirt off of him, mouth latching onto his skin to suck purple bruises every place it touched. For the first time in a long time Ten thought he might truly enjoy this.

Johnny’s lips attacked his again, and Ten moaned into them to keep himself from biting off a chunk of the plump assailants. He had never wanted to stay in control as much as he did now, nor had he ever desired this strongly to lose himself to the pleasure of it all. 

“Johnny, fuck me already,” Ten gasped when the taller man broke away to trail kisses along the edge of his jaw and down to his collar. His hands were kneading into Ten’s thighs, working their way to where his dick fought against the constraining fabric of his jeans. 

“You’re so fucking hot,” he growled. Ten’s nails were already drawn into sharp points, unable to keep his claws contained all the way. He could feel the knife-like edges of his teeth on his lips when he bit back a moan as Johnny palmed at his dick through his jeans.

Johnny made a bad joke about Ten's name, and he kept chuckling at his own awful humor while they kissed. He was a strange mix of sexy and goofy, blended in just the right way to be irresistible with a hint of regret.

Their pants came off soon after, letting Ten change their position so that he was on top of Johnny as he helped him pull off his jeans. The scent of his arousal was intoxicating, filling Ten’s limbs with strength and vitality. He could see the reflection of his glowing silver eyes in Johnny’s own. The man didn’t seem to mind, either because he was just as far gone as Ten or maybe because he had already had a fair number of run-ins with the supernatural. 

He took in all of Johnny’s body with his eyes, his fingers, his mouth. Hands were twisted in his hair while he awkwardly tried to apply a condom and lube in the cramped space. Johnny’s chest rumbled with satisfaction as Ten stroked his member, the length of it stretching towards his stomach in a beautiful arc. They kissed, open mouthed, sloppy, tongues intertwined until Ten could no longer restrain himself.

“Fuck me, please,” he whined. Ten ground down on with his hips, feeling Johnny slide between his cheeks and poke at his entrance. He wanted to feel the stretch and burn of it. He needed the build of pressure and its crippling release. He couldn’t live without consuming the sexual energy of Johnny as he found his climax.

“Your eyes are beautiful,” he whispered. Ten didn’t have time to process the comment as Johnny’s fingers pushed into him. He couldn’t help his own fingers extending into wicked black claws, digging into Johnny’s shoulders like they were made of cheese until they met bone. 

He groaned in pain, but Ten silenced his pending cries with a powerful kiss. He rocked back into Johnny’s fingers a few times, resisting the urge to snap off Johnny’s arm and do it himself. Before he could, Ten tore Johnny’s digits from him, quickly replaced by the real thing. He sunk back until the other man was fully sheathed within him. It hurt in all the right ways, stretching him until he felt about to burst. He salivated over the way that Johnny curved inside him, pressing into just the right places.

Ten couldn’t help but laugh with Johnny finally in him. The poor guy was on the verge of tears, open wounds on his shoulders streaming blood, but he was trying his best to hold it in. Ten wiped away a tear with one of his talons as it fell.

“It’s okay, it’ll be over soon.” Ten licked up a stripe of blood on Johnny’s chest, barbed tongue peeling skin away with it. Johnny cried out and Ten started to move his hips, searching for his own pleasure while he tormented the man beneath him. It amused him to no end that he could feel Johnny growing impossibly more hard despite the pain. “Hold still.”

Ten wrapped his fist around the taller man’s begging throat. He let his body do the work, grinding and riding Johnny’s dick, chasing the pleasure of the head of it slamming into him just right. The sound of skin against skin sang a lewd ode to the night. He wanted to continue like this for as long as he could, hoping to milk it for all it was worth. 

He sunk his teeth into Johnny’s ear, ripping off a chunk of the cartilage. A strangled cry escaped his lips and Ten pressed a poisonous kiss to his temple. “You’re too good for me,” he whispered. He could feel it, the summit of his climbing towards bliss. 

It hit him like a seven course feast as the man beneath him came, shuddering and quaking. Ten impaled himself twice more before he was soaring above the world, flying on winds of euphoria.

Ten felt so full, so sated. The force of energy from the man’s orgasm felt like he wouldn’t have to feed again for months. He was lost in the overwhelming power of it, the sensation of pure bliss and strength. An elated scream peeled from his lips to mingle with the agonized melody of the human. Ten’s eyes were glossy as his claws dug deep into Johnny’s chest, breaking through his ribs and clenching around the beating muscle of his life. Ten caressed the pounding heart once before ripping it from the man’s chest. 

He stared at the organ, separated from its vessel, and was slowly brought back to reality. 

Ten pulled himself off of the dead man, setting the heart back on his chest gently. He used one of the discarded items of clothing to wipe some of the blood from his hands once they looked human again. A stray t-shirt and a pair of boxers became his clothing of choice as Ten climbed into the front seat and started the car.

Taeyong was going to be upset with him. He was always upset about Ten killing mortals, but young and healthy ones made him particularly sad. Ten honestly wished he hadn't killed the young man, but what was done was done. It’s not like he could’ve changed the outcome anyways.

Taeyong hated what Ten did, it was against his ethical principles as a coven leader who implored his brethren to live in harmony with mortals. Vampires didn't have to kill their food to survive, and in theory Ten didn't have to either. Letting a fresh dead body go to waste in a sewer or some abandoned building wasn't right though, especially when there was money to be made selling bodies a vampire could suck dry. Even if he didn't like it, he dealt with it. He and Ten were closer than brothers.

That didn't make dealing with his face of disappointment any easier. Ten could already imagine the piercing gaze of his friend, judging him at the bar.

It just sucked, okay? It really fucking sucked that Ten had no control over his demonic tendencies. It wasn't that he disliked killing people: he was at his core a demon who relished in human misery. He hated that he had no choice in the matter, that his body refused to listen to him. He didn't mind mortal misery, but when it was linked to his own, he hated his very nature.

He was crying. He could feel the tears spilling from his cheeks to the stupid leather seats of the car. Ten was crying while he drove a stupid corpse to his best friend's stupid club so some stupid vampire could drain it dry. He felt stupid, unable to prevent the same situation from repeating itself over and over and over and over.

He turned on the stereo, hoping to distract himself with music. Instead he was hit in the face by an eclectic taste in EDM and sobs shook his body. If he could go back in time, he would've eaten yesterday. He would've avoided the 7th Sense entirely.

“You’re beautiful when you cry.”

Ten’s head snapped back. He had seen a lot in his life, but this made the list of things he never expected to see. A bloody, shirtless human who had just had his heart ripped out was talking to him from the backseat of a commandeered car. The man’s eyes widened with realization to match Ten’s. He called out to him, lips urgently trying to form words, but Ten was deaf to all sound except the rhythm of a very much beating human heart. A very much beating human heart that Ten could see through the gaping hole in his chest. The man tried to reach for the steering wheel, heart rate increasing as Ten stared back at him, immobilized by shock.

Ten didn’t even feel the impact until the panoptic black crashed over him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back! Sorry this took so long but I got pretty busy with some school and life things so I didn't have much time to write till now. This chapter is a little more... tame? than the last one haha. Please enjoy :)

Taeyong’s eyes shifted back and forth, trying to comprehend the mess that sat before him. 

Ten looked like he had just been force-fed a bowl of fresh fruit; somewhat nauseous with a sullen expression. The man next to him was not much better, fading in and out of consciousness while the flesh of his chest and shoulders slowly knitted itself back together. A large chunk of his scalp was also ripped off, revealing a putrid mass of hair mixed with browning flesh. It was quite gruesome and the smell was something else entirely.

“So he didn’t die?” Yuta asked again, fingers pinching his nose closed. 

“Ten made it pretty clear that he did, but how about we rip out your heart too and test that theory?” Doyoung sassed. 

“So what are we gonna do?” Taeil asked. “I’m not sure how far his regeneration abilities go but clearly they are stronger than anything I’ve ever seen before.”

It had only been a few hours since Ten had called Taeyong, hysteric and crying after he crashed the car. By the time Taeyong had shown up, Ten had calmed down to the eerily quiet and shell shocked state he was still in, offering only a brief explanation of what happened. The man who was with him was completely torn up, and one of his arms had snapped so that the bone protruded from his skin when they got into Taeyong’s car. Now his arm had almost completely mended itself, only the traces of dried blood to prove there was a wound there in the first place. The hole in his chest was taking the longest to heal, but that was probably because Ten was the one who inflicted it. Taeyong didn’t really care for the details of how that happened.

“If he doesn’t die when we kill him, we could technically use him as like, an unlimited source of blood right?” Yuta suggested. 

Two angry pairs of eyes snapped to him, but Doyoung shut down the idea before they could speak. “Have you lost your sense of smell along with your brain? I wouldn’t drink his blood even if I was starved for a century.” Yuta acknowledged the fact: the man smelled like rotting flesh and evil energy, though the evil part was mostly due to residual smells from intercourse with Ten.

“I don’t think we should push his regeneration to its limits either way,” Taeil added. 

“I’m sure that it isn’t a very pleasant experience,” Taeyong commented. Just looking at the slow movement of the man’s flesh sealing up the exposed part of his head made his stomach squirm. “He is still a human after all.”

Taeyong looked back at his friend. Ten was rarely quiet, and this kind of silence from him was unsettling. He squeezed the demon's shoulder, not surprised but still worried there was no reaction.

“Doyoung, can you take Ten home? He probably needs to sleep.”

Doyoung scoffed. “Why should I? All he ever does is ridicule me.” It was true. Ten and Doyoung had quite the Tom and Jerry type relationship. “Get Yuta or one of the kids to do it.”

“It was just a suggestion,” Taeyong defended. “I need Yuta to help me with this guy and I thought you might want another excuse to go see Jaehyun but I’ll ask Mark to take him instead.”

It seemed like Doyoung had forgotten that Ten lived with his boyfriend with how he hastily assured Taeyong that he didn’t need to ask Mark. The rest of them said goodbye to Ten, still unresponsive and lost in whatever world his thoughts occupied. 

With Doyoung and Ten gone, the three remaining turned to face the problem sitting next to them.

“He kinda looks like that one character from Naruto. Obito. You know? The one with the fucked up face?” 

Both of the others knew (they had been forced to watch the series as it aired), but refused to acknowledge Yuta. If they caved into his anime talk now, they would never hear the end of it.

“Should we call a doctor or something?” Taeyong asked. 

“I think he is doing a pretty good job of healing himself,” Taeil said.

Taeyong rolled his eyes. “I meant a doctor who can figure out what kind of magic is responsible for this. Whatever it is, it's too similar to necromancy to be harmless, and I don't want anyone to get hurt if it is bad.”

“A little necromancy never killed anyone,” Yuta joked, earning a sharp glare from Taeyong.

Johnny groaned, eyes squeezing tighter and body shifting. When he settled again, the three dared to breathe again.

“Well, I guess it’s been a while since I last paid Kun a visit.” 

With Yuta’s help they managed to get Johnny’s body into a car. Taeil was left behind to manage the bar while Taeyong drove them towards the depths of their urban forest where witches, warlocks, and hipsters crept through decrepit warehouses and painted alleys: the arts district.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


Kun was not very pleased to find two vampires and a half-conscious human on his doorstep at four thirty in the morning. It was better than someone trying to sell him vegan protein shakes, but not by much.

He answered his door wearing a matching pajama set with his eye mask pushed up like a headband on his forehead. Sleep was still heavy in his eyes and honestly, he could’ve gone for a vegan shake or whatever right about then. He eyed the three men on his welcome mat like they were college students trick-or-treating without even trying to put on costumes.

“I don’t want any part in your little coven problems. It’s too early to make bad decisions and I have my own shit to deal with. Goodbye.” He shut the door and made it evident that he was locking it as well. It was a useless gesture, since neither Yuta nor Taeyong could enter the building without an invitation and the third member of their party was in no condition to be breaking any locks.

“Kun, please! This is an emergency,” Taeyong banged on the door. He spammed the buzzer a few times for good measure as well. 

“We should’ve brought Ten with us,” Yuta grumbled. Johnny stirred in his arms. It seemed like the human was getting closer and closer to regaining full consciousness. 

“We think someone might be dabbling in necromancy. Kun, it is as much to your benefit as it is to ours for you to help us. Please, you don’t even have to let us in! Just, please take a look at this human, and whatever spell has been cast on him. Please!”

Taeyong was hoping that persistence would be the key to unlocking Kun’s doors and getting his help. Yuta had a different idea.

“Hold this thing for a second,” he shoved Johnny into Taeyong’s arms, “I need to make a phone call.” Taeyong didn’t question it. Yuta’s phone had all sorts of magic powers that could get things done with a few text messages or the right call. His phone was also known to complicate the situation on occasion as well, but Taeyong prayed that wouldn’t be the case as he tried to keep ringing Kun’s doorbell while supporting Johnny.

“I need a favor. I’m in front of Kun’s. Good.” Yuta wandered back over, taking Johnny back from Taeyong. “Called in backup.”

“Hi there,” Johnny murmured. Yuta patted the human on the head. It wouldn’t be much longer until he was fully awake. The gaping hole was now a golf-ball sized wound that looked more like someone had taken an ice cream scoop of flesh from his chest. The smell was also less intolerable.

“Kun, I know you can hear me. This is bigger than just a coven or a clan issue. This could be dangerous for all of us.” Taeyong argued with the door. Yuta took to setting Johnny down against the wall so that he wasn’t carrying the taller man anymore.

Taeyong was banging on the door when it opened again. He fell forward before being repelled back by the entrance barrier. 

It wasn’t Kun in the doorway, but rather a smaller kid with wild brown hair who looked no less tired than the wizard himself. He eyed Johnny, propped up against the wall, with a slight look of confusion before motioning for them to follow him into the apartment. That was enough of an invitation apparently for the magic barrier preventing them from entering the flat to disappear.

Before Yuta could help Johnny get off of the floor, the kid snapped his fingers and Johnny’s body levitated up and floated through the door. Taeyong silently asked if Yuta knew the kid. The other vampire merely shrugged; they were connected somehow.

“Kun-ge, you have guests,” the kid called. It was a little odd (but much appreciated) that the apartment wasn’t filled with books and little potions like the last wizard’s lair Taeyong had visited.

The space was well lit, casting soft shadows on the bare concrete walls. Most of the surfaces were clean or only lightly cluttered, which was a relief since messy apartments stressed Taeyong out. Maybe that was why he had avoided visiting wizard dungeons in the past hundred years.

“Chenle, you aren’t supposed to let vampires into the apartment.” Kun appeared from a slightly glowing room, quickly shutting the door behind him. “Now we are going to have to completely redo all of the barriers.”

The kid, Chenle, shrugged: it wasn’t his problem anymore. He dropped Johnny onto a lounge chair and shuffled into a different room, presumably to go back to sleep. 

“Kun, we wouldn’t’ve come to you if there was any other choice,” Taeyong explained. 

Kun storms into the kitchen, a thick aura building around him like a bubble. He pulls out a blender while the fridge opens itself. Two bananas, an orange, and a bundle of spinach float over to the countertop Kun sets the blender on.

“This man died and came back to life. He died at  _ Ten’s  _ hands, and came back to life. There is powerful magic at play here and you are the only person I know who can help us make things right,” Taeyong explained.

“Don’t worry, I’m a-alive!” Johnny announced, words still slurring together. He attempted to stand up from the longue chair only to fall back into it right after.

The fruits placed themselves into the blender along with some ice cubes that formed in mid-air. The blender turned on, the loud noise drowning out Johnny’s babbling and Yuta’s chuckles as he hyped up the mortal (immortal?) in the chair next to him.

“Kun, please--” The wizard slammed his palms against the counter, the blender stopping simultaneously.

“I swear to Merlin if you don’t fucking shut up. It’s five in the morning and the least you could do is let me make my fucking smoothie and wake up a bit.”

Taeyong bit his tongue, avoiding Kun’s gaze. “Sorry, Kun.”

“Go take a seat.”

“Hey Kun, can you make a second smoothie while you’re at it? My human is drooling a bit looking at your blender.” Kun flipped Yuta the finger but more fruit started floating out of the fridge anyways.

Five minutes later they were sitting in Kun’s living room area sipping on smoothies. Johnny was fully conscious but still slightly delirious still, laughing randomly and asking strange questions about why smoothies were considered smooth if they had chunks in them and if the world was getting warmer because people stopped believing in Jack Frost. Yuta humored him with silly replies while Taeyong chewed at his cuticles.

“Explain,” Kun sighed. He was half-way done with his smoothie and already about to curse Johnny and all of his descendants if he kept talking about why a glass coffee table wasn’t a good design choice for a magician since Yuta had the bright idea to tell him that Kun practiced magic. 

Relieved to interrupt the explanation of how cards would be reflected in the glass and spoil the trick, Taeyong shared what they knew. 

Kun’s eyes narrowed as the story went on. He stopped Taeyong mid sentence, extending his hand and pulling Johnny to him with a softly murmured spell. 

Johnny still didn’t seem too bothered, even though he was floating in a glowing haze of the spell. He was certainly a strange human, if he was a human at all. Kun was starting to doubt his own senses now. No matter how strongly this creature’s aura smelled and felt like a human, Kun didn’t want to risk being badly burned if it ended up not being true.

“As far as I can tell right now, he is just a human. Maybe Ten was mistaken.” Kun released the spell and Johnny plopped back to the ground as indifferent as ever. 

“Are there any traces of magic or curses or anything? Please, you must have missed something, Ten wouldn’t be acting like this if it wasn’t true,” Taeyong pleaded. Kun glared at him.

“It’s fucking five in the morning do I looking like I’ve done a thorough check yet?” These vampires were immortal yet somehow they still managed to have the patience of fruit flies. If Kun rubbed his temples anymore he was going to start getting bruises. 

“Can you do a better check now then?” Yuta asked. The rest of his smoothie shot out of the glass and onto his face in reply. 

“Why don’t you check and see for yourself then? I’m sure you could do a much better job than me if you are so confident that it can be done instantly. I have a life to live, a business to run, and a bed that needs to be slept in. Fuck off.”

“Kun, we are really sorry, but this could be dangerous. You are the only person I can trust enough to help us figure out how-- why this,” Taeyong looked over at Johnny who was poking fruits in a bowl on Kun’s counter, “thing isn’t dead. I know you don’t really like us right now, but this is also for Ten’s sake.”

Taeyong stared into Kun’s eyes with the intensity of a tiger preparing to pounce, “One of my children had a vision,” from the staring and the echoing quality of his voice, Kun could tell that Taeyong was speaking directly into his mind. It was safer, in case anyone was listening in, but it pissed Kun off to no end. Consent is a thing and he most certainly had not consented to this mental invasion. 

Kun had no choice but to listen, paralyzed by Taeyong’s vampiric power. Even after Taeyong released him, he was frozen, still like a sculpture made of ice. 

“Please help us Kun, you can ask the coven for a favor anytime and we will help you, just please help us this once,” Taeyong said. There was still smoothie oozing down Yuta’s cheeks like tar, and Johnny was now talking to the fruit on the counter, but Kun remained still. Gears were turning in his head, trying to process everything. 

“Please Kun, I wouldn’t ask this of you if there was any other choice.” Taeyong really didn’t have any other choice. Wizards were few and far between these days, and Kun was one of the last who had been formally trained in the ways of spell crafting. If he had to go find someone else the mere movement would bring unwanted attention to his coven from prying eyes. 

“Get out of my house.”

Taeyong blinked. The whole room was silent, even Johnny was oddly quiet. He and Yuta shared a quick, worried glance. 

“Ku-”

“Out.” Kun cut off Yuta’s words, taking away the vampire’s voice with a snap of his fingers. Yuta’s body picked itself up off of the couch and started walking towards the door, much to the vampire’s silent protest. 

“Please, Kun,” Taeyong whispered. He didn’t want to give up on getting the wizard’s help, but he could tell a lost cause when he saw one. 

His glare was cold enough to burn. “Out.”

Taeyong stood up to steal Johnny away from the fruits. He could try to find answers from some of Ten’s siblings, but finding a demon was just as hard as getting an answer from one of them. Part of him wished that this strange human had just stayed dead.

“Leave the human.” 

Taeyong turned back to look at Kun.

“I said leave him, and get out.” Taeyong couldn’t stop the smile that rose on his face.

“Thank you Kun,” he said, hurrying to grab Yuta and head towards the door. There was no point in staying longer and pissing Kun off further. Taeyong knew that Johnny would be in good hands, even if those hands would have an anti-vampire spell set up as soon as they crossed back over the barrier.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Ten never thought that he could be this distraught over a person being alive. 

It didn’t make sense. He should be elated that someone had managed to survive him; he now had a potential source of sustainable food. He could lay low and take a break from the weekly grind without starving himself for once! There was even the possibility for other--more unthinkable--kinds of stability in his life. The kinds of stability that weren’t spoken but lingered in the air as a fraction of a forgotten hope whenever he met someone knew.

But it was stupid to think things like that. They only led him back to the dark places that were so difficult to climb back out of. 

Was he less of a demon for wanting to be happy about not killing? Ten wondered what his brothers and sisters would think if they found him there, sitting on the top of a broken ferris wheel with his wings unfurled and beads of liquid blowing from his eyes into the wind.

When he was younger, one of his elder sisters had told him a story about how demons were created. Her story was frightening. She would bare her fangs and chase him around with her massive wings all while chanting that if Ten didn’t kill enough people he would turn back into the pitiful human he was born from. Of course, demons weren’t actually born from humans and it was just a tale used to bully him, but Ten still shuddered in memory. 

Humans were like ants to demons. Their lives hardly mattered and when they did it was only ever a nuisance. Ten was designed to step on them and kill them, to burn their little mounds with a magnifying glass for fun. It was his nature, and yet he couldn’t stop the sour feeling that mingled with the taste of blood coating his fangs.

A rattling from below opened his eyes back to the world. There was a strange clown staring up at him, white paint peeling from the wooden planks that supported its face. Humans, youthful and vibrating with energy, made themselves known to Ten before the gang of teenagers clambered over the fence meant to keep them out.

They were always doing foolish things like breaking into abandoned theme parks and falling into the clutches of hungry demons. Ten’s eyes traced their boisterous trek into the heart of the park that left trails of red and green on walls behind them.

“Look Ten, the rabbits wandered into the fox’s den,” Hyoyeon’s snickering tone echoed in his ear. One of the kids took out a joint and lit it to pass among themselves. “It would be a shame to all foxes to let them go,” his brother Minho sneered.

Ten brought his wings closer around himself. He wasn’t going to kill anyone if he didn’t have to; he didn’t have the control of his siblings nor the lack of a guilty conscience. Instead he let his gaze follow them while the taunts of his absent siblings plagued his mind.

  
  


The children reminded Ten of a time when some of his siblings had dragged him off to some dark region where monsters spawned and humans only dreamed of. They had torn through the rubbish that the creatures lived in and painted the sky with their blood. Rampaging and devastating the whole hoard, Ten imagined that these humans must feel some fraction of that thrill in their contributions to the destruction of this desolate place.

A sharp scream pierced the silence of Ten’s brooding. Of the four humans who had entered, only three of them stood next to one of the rotting walls below.

They looked around frantically, calling out for their friend. When the next one disappeared, the remaining two had the brains to run. 

Ten jumped down from the wheel, gliding over the park to appear in front of the running humans. His large wings spread fully made them stop in their tracks. There was no need for glamor here; these boys had clearly been marked by someone as soon as they had come to this place. Maybe even before. 

When the boys turned to run in the opposite of Ten, another figure stood trapping them between.

“Please don’t hurt us,” one of the boys pleaded, piss soaking through his friend’s pants. Ten scrunched his nose, wondering how other demons enjoyed human fear in the form of urine.

“What a pleasant surprise to find you here, nephew,” the other figure spoke. He appeared as a human, short in stature and dressed cleanly, however his shadow twisted and writhed behind him like a monster of the sea.

“I haven’t seen you in a while. It’s good to see you Uncle Taemin.”

The other demon grinned. The fading light of the sun glinted on his teeth, showcasing the sharpness of his incisors: the only abnormality about his physical appearance.

“Are you out hunting tonight as well?” Taemin asked. His voice had an echoing quality to it, as if it was the faint whisper back of words Ten had asked in some other future.

“No, just sulking. Sorry to interrupt your feast.”

“Not at all, little one. There is plenty if you would like to join in.”

Ten eyed the cowering humans between them. “I think I’ll have to pass, I’m not really into the piss-themselves-scared meals.”

“You always were a picky eater,” Taemin stated. A tentacle slid out of one of his sleeves and wrapped itself around one of the boys’ necks, lifting him into the air faster than a human could see. “Have you been home recently?”

Ten shook his head. “I prefer the company of other supernaturals to that of my brethren. Home gets quite… stuffy.”

Taemin laughed. It was a beautiful sound, even for Ten who wasn’t affected by its magic. Although the human boys took to it like a drug that relaxed them and quelled a portion of their fear.

“I’ve been out travelling as well, and honestly I’ve started to feel a little bit homesick.”

It started as a tickle on the back of his neck, creeping down his spine and raising up hairs as it went. Ten turned his gaze towards the shadows of a nearby building.

“It seems you haven’t been travelling alone.”

“You have keen senses, nephew.” He tossed the human in his grasp into the direction of the shadow. The remaining boy resumed his sobbing despite Taemin’s soothing magic. This level of fear would be enough to make a lesser demon lose their minds with hunger. Ten wondered if Taemin had been trying to hide his companion’s presence with the aromas of anxiety.

A humanoid figure approached them, and it felt as if the darkness of dusk came with him. A large cloak concealed the details of their body and limbs, but it didn’t hide the blood that clung to their hands and face. They were taller than both Ten and Taemin, but their height didn’t explain the strange sensation of Ten feeling small as they approached.

“This is my son, Kai. Say hello kiddo.”

Kai looked into Ten’s eyes the way he imagined that a shinigami might look into a human’s. 

“Hello cousin,” Kai said. His voice was low and quiet, his teeth dull like a human but stained red. Ten nodded in return.

“He is still pretty young, which is why we are hunting so much today. Kai has quite the appetite, do you mind if he finishes while we chat?”

Ten motioned for him to go ahead. Kai grabbed the last human with superhuman strength that shattered his bones. The boy didn’t scream though, suffocating in Kai’s uncontrolled aura. Ten also felt a bit congested standing so close.

“He isn’t pure, is he?” Ten stated more than asked. The crunch of bones was like a pleasant background tune.

Taemin shook his head. “No, he isn’t. I’ve had to place quite a number of spells on him to keep it a secret. If your father knew I doubt we would still be among the living.”

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t tell him even if I felt compelled to,” Ten assured him. “I don’t get along too well with most of our family anyways.”

“We outcasts have to stick together. It’s a shame that our kin are so simple minded in their vices.” Taemin laughed softly to himself, perhaps recalling a memory of another demon who cared only to consume and conquer. Ten could certainly think of a few.

Hyoyeon was one of them. Demons all shared the same abilities, however in greater demons one might manifest more than all others. For Ten’s sister it was her love of torment and torture. He had been subject to much of her development as they grew older together, and she would still get so absorbed in her talents that she hardly cared for anything else.

“What brings you to Seoul this time?” Ten asked.

“Well, we are--” Taemin’s answer was cut short when a bullet flew past them, just grazing his ear as he dodged. They could all sense that it had been imbued with magic, the kind that might actually do some damage too, if the little trickle of black blood was sign enough.

There was no time for further words, at least two creatures were approaching them and Ten didn’t want to get caught up in whatever was about to happen. These people wouldn’t be able to kill them, but neither Ten nor Taemin wanted to be forced to recover in their home dimension.

Ten attempted to teleport, but discovered a barrier in place to prevent it. Kai managed to disappear, however he and Taemin were unable to get past. The two of them danced through bullets of magic being shot at them, too slow to hit them but fast enough to make escape difficult.

A fae and a vampire approached them, probably employed by the magic council of the area. Magic councils were supposed to make and enforce laws, but rules didn’t appeal much to demons. It was a wonder they hadn’t shown up earlier with how strong Kai’s aura was as he fed.

Talking to the cops was not on Ten’s list of fun things to do: he did his best to avoid them whenever possible. However, Taemin called out for them to stop shooting in order to talk.

The bullets slowed and the vampiress cop called out to them, “If you try to escape we will start shooting again and pursue you! There is backup on the way.” 

“It’s alright, we won’t run,” Taemin said, looking at Ten. There was an implicit threat in his gaze, since both of them knew that Ten wouldn’t comply otherwise.

The vampiress approached them, the fae staying a distance away and scanning their surroundings.

“I’m Officer Kang Seulgi and that is my partner Officer Bae Joohyun. We are here investigating some illegal magic spikes that were reported in the area. Either of you know what happened?”

“Why Ms. Kang, my nephew and I here were having a little reunion and we must have gotten a bit too excited. The auras of two higher demons colliding can often have miraculous consequences. It seems that it was just a misunderstanding.” Taemin lied as if he were born to do it. He could have been, but Ten didn’t think that was what Taemin’s greatest manifestation was.

“Unfortunately the words of a demon have little weight in the land of the law. The magic levels we are picking up right now are nowhere near what registered earlier. If you can prove it, then maybe I’ll be more inclined to take your word for it.” Officer Seulgi looked at them with disdain. Even if she couldn’t detect it explicitly, she was wise enough to know that Taemin was lying through his teeth.

“Well nephew, shall we show them?” The shadows around Taemin grew larger, extending themselves towards Ten. He cringed internally, knowing that this wasn’t going to work, yet let his own aura creep towards his uncle anyways.

It flowed from him like honey, hesitant but continuous. Where his aura met Taemin’s there was a crackle of electricity, sparking colors of fuschia and cyan. 

Officer Seulgi gave them a disappointed smile at the underwhelming interaction.

“I promise it was different earlier, we just aren’t as excited anymore,” Taemin tried to explain.

“I found traces of at least three dead humans,” Officer Joohyun called from near one of the buildings nearby. “Young ones too.”

“I’m sorry guys, but I’m going to have to arrest you and question you further about this incident,” Officer Seulgi shrugged. Ten tensed up. He looked over at Taemin to make sure they were on the same page.

A slew of tentacles flew out of Taemin’s sleeves towards Officer Seulgi as Ten threw open his wings, dashing towards Officer Joohyun. The officers were prepared for their retaliation (demons were notorious for avoiding arrest) and drew magic weapons to block the demons’ attacks.

However it wasn’t necessary, as the two officers suddenly froze, unable to even blink. Ten pulled back, keeping his talons from digging into the fae’s flesh. He still grazed her with the momentum of his rush forward, but the wounds would be trivial to heal. Ten soared upwards with a downstroke of his wings, taking to the sky to assess the scene.

There were few individuals who would be able to cast powerful enough spells in a magic control zone, and Ten wasn’t surprised that the individual who had remained hidden. He could vaguely make out the edges of where concealing spells might have been cast, but he didn’t need to unveil them to know who they hid; a voice revealed that for him.

“Leave this place now,” Qian Kun commanded, “or you will find yourself unable to leave.” Taemin didn’t have to be told twice, melting into a pool of shadows and merging with the night.

Ten flew down to land beside where Kun stood, almost invisible.

“Great timing,” Ten said.

“What are you doing here?” Kun hissed quietly. Ten felt for the edges of the magic and slipped beneath it to reveal Kun’s form. The wizard hadn’t bothered to put on a glamour beneath his invisibility cloak, showing off dark circles beneath his eyes that would never be visible normally. 

Telling the truth wouldn’t be that out of the ordinary--those who knew him also knew he could get quite moody--but Ten didn’t want to confess his woes to Kun right then. He gave the wizard a somewhat awkward smile instead.

“Whatever,” Kun shook his head. “I was going to come find you eventually.” He grabbed Ten’s wrist and they left the amusement park.

Teleporting with Kun was a bit like going down a waterslide. Ten much preferred his own form or dematerialization and reappearance: it felt more like slipping into a chambré tub of thick water than the chilling rush of being warped to another location. Kun’s version did come with a much greater range, although Ten often enjoyed flying the difference.

Traces of Kun’s magic clung to him like droplets of water once they reached their destination. Ten didn’t recognize the room, but could tell where they were from the smell. 

Burnt vanilla and wild rosemary mingled with the scents of other herbs that Ten knew the purpose of but not the names. His aura tingled, feeling quite constrained by the magic interfused with the air. 

An empty bowl was resting on the counter, traces of some previous meal within. Ten knew that Kun had an apprentice, but it was an odd sight considering the wizard’s intense distress from clutter. It amused him that the kid might have more typical tendencies than the wizard who trained him.

It stuck out like a sore thumb, so it was no wonder that Kun made it disappear with a quiet spell as soon as he saw it. Hearing words of magic around Kun was odd--the wizard loved to show off his skill at unspoken spellwork--but comforting to Ten who had such little skill with the craft. Watching magic happen without knowing the spell controlling it could be quite frightening, especially if it was going to do something to you.

Ten took a seat on one of the couches, Kun sinking into another while reciting a string of spells to make them drinks. Breaking through the magic control zone must have taken a lot of strength, but Kun’s exhaustion seemed to come from somewhere deeper than a squabble with the police.

There was an unspoken agreement between them to not mention one another’s problems. Ten was as reluctant to talk about his sorrows as Kun was to explain his fatigue. They sat in silence, sipping at martinis, until Ten broke the silence.

“I like your new place. The minimalism suits you.”

Kun scoffed, turning from his drink to regard Ten. “It suits magic. I’ve never understood students of the art who love clutter. Organization is a key element in the study and practice.” Maybe that’s why Ten wasn’t talented with it.

“Is your apprentice progressing well?” Kun swirled his glass, lips pursed in contemplation.

“He has much further to go still. It seems as if the purpose of his apprenticeship is to undermine me at times.”

Ten chuckled. Kun was more of a mom than a teacher: it wasn’t hard to imagine him nagging at an apprentice that didn’t clean up after themselves.

“Speaking of which, I should probably go check up on him. I’ve been too busy today to pay him much attention. I hope he hasn’t gotten into something he shouldn’t have.”

Kun got up from the couch, setting his drink onto the table. He looked to Ten out of politeness, and the demon waved him onwards. “Go ahead. I’ll wait here for a bit.” Kun disappeared through a doorway leaving Ten alone with his thoughts once more.

It was good to catch up with the wizard, even if the circumstance of their meeting was somewhat odd. Ten still didn’t understand why Kun had shown up or helped him and Taemin escape. Perhaps he needed the distraction; wallowing in self doubt and regret felt more destructive than being chased by the police.

Ten didn’t have time to get into the depths of his mind when another figure came into the room. The man didn’t notice him, heading straight into the kitchen, but Ten’s heart momentarily stopped when he realized who it was.

The very same human who had sent him into his spiraling was rummaging through the contents of Kun’s fridge without a care in the world. He looked (and smelled) completely normal. The man was as human and alive as could be.

The human turned away from the fridge with a stick of string cheese half open in his mouth. He seemed to light up, seeing that Ten was in the room with him, while the demon remained completely frozen where he sat.

“Oh hey! I didn’t see you there. Are you visiting Kun?” Johnny started approaching the sitting room and consequently Ten. Remembering the spell for invisibility would be extremely useful right about now.

“I’m Johnny, I don’t think we’ve ever met.” The human extended his hand to the rigid demon. Ten didn’t know how to move. For all he knew, Johnny was some kind of gorgon who had turned him to stone, especially his brain.

After a moment the human pulled back his offered hand and shook it himself with a kind of goofy smile. “I’m just staying with Kun for a bit because he is helping me recover. Sorry to bother you, I didn’t realize he had a guest.”

Johnny turned to leave and Ten panicked. He didn’t really know why, but the words escaped his mouth before he could shut them in. “It’s alright. I don’t mind company.”

The human smiled, turning back to come and sit in one of the comfy armchairs with the cheese stick still dangling from his mouth. Ten breathed deeply, trying to calm himself (like that ever worked). 

Johnny apparently disliked the awkward silence between them as much as Ten did, so he jumped straight into conversation. “I’m not sure if I’m allowed to ask but I will anyways. Are you a wizard too?”

Ten’s eyes grew wide. Clearly Kun had revealed some information to the human about himself, but Ten wasn’t really sure how educated the man was with magical society. Humans weren’t always prohibited from integrating with the magic world, but it was generally frowned upon. Some conservatives in the community viewed humans as livestock but others argued modern technology might prove them dangerous foes. Ten didn’t want to have to deal with filing the paperwork if the magic council found out he was the one who released certain secrets into the human world.

“No,” Ten started hesitantly, “I’m not--”

“Wait, don’t tell me. I want to guess,” Johnny interrupted. He looked Ten up and down, as if his human eyes or nose would be able to detect some trace of the particular magic that made Ten what he was. It was kind of cute, the way the human’s eyes narrowed with his concentration.

“Are you a vampire then?” Ten shook his head. He hoped that Taeyong and his coven felt flattered to be compared to a high demon, even if it was by a clueless human. “Ah, I thought that might be it. Kun was complaining about vampires earlier.” That explained why the human was here in front of him. 

“Hmm. Okay, I’ll make one more guess then.” The human contemplated his guess, and Ten couldn’t hold himself back from staring. The same brown hair that had masked his warm eyes in a club was parted over a forehead that Ten had seen drenched in blood. It made his stomach squirm at the thought, and Ten wasn’t sure if it was excitement or disgust.

He could hear the human’s heart beating. The very same one he had ripped out in his uncontrolled craze. 

“I was going to ask if you are a werewolf, but that feels a little too twilight to be true,” the human interrupted Ten’s morbid thoughts. “Are you connected to nature somehow?”

“Some might argue that I am, but if you mean trees and all that, then no.” He couldn’t help the tiny smile creeping across his cheeks. 

“Shit. There goes a couple options. You are magic though, right?” He asked as if he hadn’t felt the effects of the demon’s aura himself. It hadn’t crossed Ten’s mind that the human didn’t remember their night together. “What am I saying, you are way too pretty to be a real person.”

The human not remembering anything would be a best case scenario for Ten. It seemed impossible to salvage even a friendship if the human knew exactly how Ten had tore into his body and fed upon his sexual energy. Now that he wasn’t hungry and could think properly, it felt as if Ten had been given a second chance.

No, that was only in a best case scenario. There was no guarantee that Ten would be able to stay in control in the future. It wasn’t even certain that the human’s memories were gone, or if they were gone permanently. If Ten kept acting like a fool then there would be no further interactions at all. Maybe that would be a good thing.

“I’m kind of going through a mental checklist of all of the magic creatures I’ve ever heard of and all I can think of now is this anime I saw a long time ago about ghouls. Do you eat people?”

Ten gulped. “Kind of?”

“Are you a ghoul then?” Johnny asked. “That’s my last guess, I don’t really know any other magic creatures besides like unicorns and dragons.”

“I’m not a ghoul, and I said kind of because I don’t eat human flesh, but I do consume their energy. You could call me something like an incubus.”

The human’s eyes grew wide for a second and then he laughed. It was a low and pleasing laugh that sparked a warm glow inside Ten. Humans didn’t have any magic in them, but occasionally it felt as if they could cast spells with their emotions.

“Wow that makes a lot of sense. Well Mr. Incubus, what should I call you?”

It was like the last blow that kicked down the door of Ten’s doubts. He felt as if he could relax, knowing that Johnny didn’t remember who he was.

“Most people call me Ten.”

“Is that because of your score on the attractive scale or is that a measurement?” They both chuckled at the joke (Johnny moreso than Ten).

“It’s just a nickname that stuck. I was the tenth born into my family, and some of my siblings aren’t the nicest.”

“Oh wow, are your family dynamics a lot different from normal family ones then? I don’t have any siblings, but I can’t imagine living under the same roof as a bunch of other incubi. Is it weird?” 

“I guess I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had a real family experience outside of my own. Not all of my siblings are incubi though,” Ten replied. He wanted to cut off the inscest topic before it could rear its ugly head.

“Fair point. I always wanted to have a little brother or sister, but maybe it’s not as fun being the younger sibling.” Johnny talked smoothly, despite knowing his company was a sex demon. Literally. 

Ten liked him. He liked him and he hated it. It made all those twisted feelings about killing him and feeding off of him all the more complicated. Johnny’s odd return from the dead didn’t make any of those feelings easier.

Johnny was attractive--extremely attractive--and it was obvious to a creature like Ten that the human had some attraction towards him too. He was a hypocrite for criticizing all of the demons who lost control at the scent of human fear when he could barely keep himself from drooling.

“Do you have to err… eat everyday then?” 

_ Cute _ . Ten mused. “No, I don’t have to. Do you?”

He meant it as a sarcastic jab, but the human took the prompt seriously. “I think I used to, but I’m not so sure anymore.” Johnny looked down at the wrapper of the string cheese he ate. “I haven’t tested starvation, but I don’t think I can die from it.”

“What do you mean by tested?” Ten leaned forward, suddenly quite curious about Johnny and his potentially non-human parts.

“Well, I’m pretty sure I can’t die. Apparently I got in a really bad car crash last night, which is why I’m here at Kun’s right now actually, but I think I also drowned at some point. We are probably going to test some of the limitations of it, but I don’t want to actually die, you know?”

Kun came bursting into the room before Ten could ask another question. The wizard looked about with a frantic look in his eyes. 

“Hey Kun. Something up?” Johnny asked. Ten envied the familiarity in which he spoke to the other man. The wizard turned to them with a desperation Ten had never seen in him before.

“Have you seen Chenle today?” he asked. Johnny shook his head. Ten had never seen the aforementioned apprentice ever, so he shook his head as well. Kun’s shoulders sunk, and whatever remaining strength he had left his body.

“Did something happen? He is probably just out with some friends or something,” Johnny suggested. Kun laughed softly, as if Johnny had just implied the impossible.

“He's been kidnapped.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope the next update will come sooner... haha
> 
> Also, if you like SF9, I have a fic I'm currently working on with them as well (you can find it [ here ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25044115) )

**Author's Note:**

> I'm mostly posting this looking for validation as to whether or not I should keep writing this. I like where I think I want the story to go, but I'm not certain that this is even something I should be writing.


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